Having received a severe burn, a person does not always realize what needs to be done. Such injuries are accompanied by unpleasant complications, and treatment at home is not always acceptable. Sometimes we cannot use the drugs we are used to, for example, for open wounds and bleeding. People are often interested in the question of how to treat a burn at home if the skin has peeled off.
The skin peeled off after a burn, what should I do?
First of all, the injured person needs to be given first aid. Even with the death of the upper epithelium, these measures will be little different.
- Get rid of the irritant, be it a hot object or a chemical element;
- Body temperature over the entire burn area will be increased. It must be reduced with cold running water or an ice compress. To make the latter, wrap ice cubes in a clean, soft cloth. Ice should not be applied directly as this can cause frostbite.
In such episodes, the degree of burns plays a significant role. Normal redness is rarely accompanied by peeling epithelium. If blisters have already formed, deep tissues have been damaged, or they have begun to turn black, you should definitely call a doctor.
What can't you do?
There are many incorrect stereotypes about what to apply to a damaged area if the skin has peeled off after a burn.
- Vegetable oil, any fatty ointments. If you apply them immediately after injury, you will disrupt normal heat exchange with the environment. The wound will not be able to cool down, but will only heat up more;
- Do not use any alcohol-containing solutions or preparations, not only if the burned skin has peeled off, but also in any other case. Alcohol dries fabrics, this will only provoke additional irritation;
- Remember that in those episodes when the skin peels off after a burn, the damaged area will begin to get wet. This is a contraindication to many of our usual medications. By using them on open wounds, you can only aggravate the situation;
- Do not use brilliant green or iodine under any circumstances. This action will cause chemical damage.
- Do not apply bandages with gauze or adhesive plasters, which will then be quite painful to remove from the burned area.
How can you treat a burn at home if the skin has peeled off?
Medicines
Medication assistance should consist of several stages. Firstly, the burned area should be disinfected, and secondly, the process of regeneration of injured tissue should be accelerated.
- If the skin has peeled off after a burn, then carry out antiseptic treatment 3 times a day using a solution of Chlorhexidine, Furacilin, and potassium permanganate.
- Apply wound healing ointment:
- Solcoseryl;
- Panthenol;
- Bepanten;
- Olazol.
- To prevent infection, if the injury is extensive and deep, the area where the skin has peeled off after a burn must be treated with antibacterial drugs:
- Levomekol;
- Tetracycline ointment;
- Streptocide;
- Baneocin.
This group of medications does not have wound-healing properties, so they should be combined with regenerating drugs.
Traditional methods of treatment
There are quite a few folk remedies that can be used to treat a burn at home if the skin has peeled off:
- Potato. It needs to be grated and the juice squeezed out. Moisten a gauze bandage in this liquid and apply to the problem area. Change every 6 hours. Helps relieve inflammation and redness;
- Calendula infusion. To prepare, pour 10 g of dry raw material with 250 ml of boiling water and leave for half an hour. Use the same as the previous product;
- Aloe juice promotes rapid tissue healing, disinfects and anesthetizes the damaged area. To do this, cut the leaf in half and place it on the juicy side.
All folk remedies are permissible for use only as part of complex anti-burn therapy, after consultation with the attending physician.
The question of what to do in case of a burn with boiling water, if the skin has peeled off, is quite relevant, because this usually happens over a large area of damage. In such cases, protective blisters do not form, and the process of infection may begin with the further formation of purulent exudate. For second-degree or greater injuries, consult your doctor to prescribe a combination therapy that is right for you.
Boiling water burn – a type of thermal burn with damage to the skin and underlying soft tissue under the influence of hot liquid. It is a common injury in everyday life, and about a third of the victims are small children. The treatment regimen, recovery period and consequences of the burn depend on the degree and area of damage, as well as correctly provided first aid.
Photo 1. Careless handling of boiling water can cost a child dearly. Source: Flickr (CHILDREN AT RISK FOUNDATION).
Degree of skin damage from boiling water
All thermal injuries are classified depending on the depth of tissue damage. Burns from boiling liquid are characterized by 1-3 degrees:
- I degree. The topmost layer of the skin is partially damaged. Redness, slight swelling and burning pain occur. After a few days, such a burn heals without traces.
- II degree. In this case, the surface layer of the skin is completely damaged. Small blisters containing clear liquid form on it, and when opened, bright red erosions are visible. The damage goes away in a maximum of two weeks and also without scarring.
- III degree is divided into several subspecies. IIIA - complete damage to the upper and partially deep layers of the skin with the formation of large blisters with liquid and a burn scab (a soft whitish crust on the wound). IIIB – the skin is completely destroyed, sometimes the subcutaneous tissue is affected. The pain at this stage is moderate because the nerve endings are destroyed.
- IV degree, with damage to fiber, muscles, bones, is not typical for burns with boiling water.
The area of the injured surface is also important, since even the mildest degree, affecting more than 10% of the body, requires qualified medical care.
First aid for burns with boiling water
The severity of the injury, the duration of treatment, and the risk of complications depend on what you do immediately after receiving an injury.
If the damage is minor, then it is not necessary to go to a medical facility. Deep or extensive burns require qualified medical care in a hospital.
Rules for first aid at home
What you need to do in case of a burn from boiling water:
- Eliminate the traumatic factor (stop contact with hot liquid).
- Cool downdamagedarea of skin within 10-15 minutes. This can be done under running water, using snow or ice. Cooling prevents heating of intact tissue surrounding the burn area and reduces pain.
It is important! Cold is used only for grades 1 and 2 of injury. More severe injuries do not need to be refrigerated.
- Apply a loose sterile dressing, freeing the burned area of the body from clothing. If the fabric is stuck, trim it along the edges, without under any circumstances trying to tear it off.
- Take an analgesic. 2 tablets of Paracetamol or Ibuprofen will do.
- Contact a medical facilityif the burn is mild but extensive, or call an ambulance in more severe cases. Minor damage can be treated with panthenol-based anti-burn agents and a bandage applied.
- It is strictly forbidden to: open blisters, smear the burn with vegetable or animal fats, brilliant green and other available means.
Features of providing assistance to children
First aid for a child is provided according to a similar scheme.
The burn should be immediately cooled, removed from clothing, covered with a sterile bandage or cloth, and given an age-appropriate pain reliever.
Suitable medications include Panadol and Nurofen.
If the damage is minor (the skin is red in a small area), you can use Panthenol and do not consult a doctor. More serious burns (especially of the face) are a reason for emergency hospitalization.
Note! When assessing the severity and area of damage to a child’s burn, the criteria are halved. That is, a grade 1 injury that occupies more than 5% of the body surface requires mandatory medical attention.
Guidelines for helping with blisters
Bubbles with liquid that appear in 2nd and 3rd degree burns serve as a kind of protection against infection of the wound. That's why open them on your own under no circumstances it is forbidden. The doctor trims large blisters to remove exudate, after which he applies a bandage with an antiseptic. There is no need to touch the small ones - after a few days they go away on their own.
Treatment of burns from boiling water
Lungs 1st degree injuries should be treated with an anti-burn agent and covered with a bandage for a couple of days (it does not need to be changed). For 2nd degree injury you need to apply bandages with bactericidal ointments, changing them every 2 days. Heavier and extensive damage are treated in a hospital using a closed (under a bandage) method or an open method - without it. In case of tissue necrosis, they are excised.
How to treat a burn at home
If a burn with boiling water does not require hospitalization, outpatient treatment is prescribed. It is aimed at accelerating tissue regeneration, pain relief and preventing infectious and inflammatory processes.
Painkillers
First degree burns are characterized by severe pain immediately after injury, but subsequently do not require pain relief. If more significant damage is being treated on an outpatient basis, then oral administration of the following drugs is indicated:
- Analgin
- Paracetamol
- Ibuprofen
- Panadol or Nurofen for children.
The doctor may also prescribe bandages with analgesic solutions. Lidocaine is usually used.
Ointments and other medications
These funds are intended to prevent wound infection and accelerate its healing. Used only as prescribed by a doctor. The following gels and ointments are recommended for dressing:
- Levomekol – antimicrobial agent;
- Solcoseryl – accelerates regeneration processes;
- Baneocin – combined antibiotic;
- Bepanten – wound healing cream.
Taking into account the characteristics of the injury and the patient’s condition, other drugs may be prescribed, both for external use and oral. It is also advisable to take vitamin and mineral complexes.